Duties

Summary

This position is in the Office of the Assistant Director (OAD) in the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO). The position is to serve as an advisor to the BIO senior leadership and support the Directorate's mission, policies, strategic goals, and objectives.

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Responsibilities

• Develops and fosters effective liaison among BIO/OAD, BIO Divisions, NSF Policy, and other NSF units involved in clearance of solicitations, Dear Colleague Letters (DCLs), and other formal NSF publications
• Analyzes and coordinates international, industrial, and interagency partnerships across the divisions
• Facilitates new partnerships and Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), linking BIO divisions with other NSF directorates and offices, with other agencies, with industries, with nonprofits, and with entities within other countries to advance NSF strategic plan and BIO strategic priorities
• Aids to implement BIO outreach strategy regarding funding opportunities and to grow audiences and build support
• Serves as the directorate expert on establishing and maintaining partnerships, providing advice on best practices and guidance on NSF formal agreement clearance procedures
• Serves as executive secretary for BIO Advisory Committee and subcommittees including Division Committee of Visitors
• Prepares reports on all aspects of research and education within the biological sciences, assuring that BIO scientific partnerships are in alignment with the NSF and external scientific community.
• Oversees, manages, and coordinates other BIO or NSF projects as assigned, works as a team member and communicates effectively in areas of OAD responsibility; collaboratively prepares presentations, reports, or other products as needed; performs other duties as assigned by the AD, the DAD and Directorate Operations Officer (DOO) encompassing activities within the Directorate.

Competencies

• Written communication
• Oral communication
• Computer technologies and web-based applications
• Planning and Management
• Teamwork/ Collaboration
• Customer service

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
• US citizenship.

It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience

You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.

Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent.

You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: analyzing, evaluating, and improving complex programs using quantitative and/or qualitative methods; analyzing and applying policies to ensure compliance; writing position papers and presentations that reflect the organizations vision, and preparing background papers on science policy issues; and developing long-range strategic relationships with partner organizations.

To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: adapting analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to measure and improve program effectiveness and/or organizational productivity; drafting, reviewing, and implementing policies and procedures; analyzing and translating position papers, reports and assessments in relations to biological sciences; writing and editing documents, briefing materials, and other relevant position papers for a variety of audiences; and developing relationships with external partners, including units within NSF, the Executive Office of the President, Congressional Committees, other Federal agencies, and external non-governmental organizations.

Education

Education may enhance skills required for this position; however, no substitution of education for specialized experience may be made at this level.

Additional information

Relocation Expenses will not be paid.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):
ICTAP and CTAP provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "Very Good" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources

Veteran's Preference:
If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the required documentation as specified on the SF-15.

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

For additional information on the NSF eRecruit system, please visit our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide .

This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.

The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Ratings will be assigned based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire. In some cases, additional assessment processes may be used.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your score. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the selecting official.

Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At NSF, this means a score of 90.0 or higher.

In the merit promotion selection process, formal performance appraisals may be considered if voluntarily submitted by the applicant.

In some cases, additional assessment processes may be used.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

If you are an NSF employee on or eligible for a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you need not submit documents to confirm status. All applicants are required to provide a resume, in any format they choose. Cover letters are optional.

We also ask that you complete and submit the Applicant Survey . This will help NSF to ensure that our recruiting efforts are attracting a diverse candidate pool; it will be used for statistical purposes only.

All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.